Esupowa-ru No Tenshi
by Sutashi
Summary: Here's my first chaptered fanfic. In the Silver Millenium, Setsuna falls in love with a Dark Kingdom spy. It's limalicious! Hehe. Please R&R!!
1. Chapter 1

Esupowa-ru No Tenshi

(Angel of Hope)

_Upon these pages lie a story. A story of a mystical princess named Setsuna. Of the last days of the Silver Millennium. Of the harsh cruelty of Fate. These pages hold a story of a love beyond reason, hope beyond hope, and a pain that no words could ever dream to describe. Hear now my tale of a hurt that will never heal and a longing that will remain in my heart for eternities to come._

Setsuna sat in front of a mirror in her luxurious room. Her floor was covered in velvet rugs and her walls in elaborate silken tapestries depicting the legends and folklore of Setsuna's people. As Setsuna began to twist her long, silky hair into a bun, her door burst open to reveal a princely figure with short blond hair.

"Haruka!" came a cry from an aqua haired girl who was running after the blond. "Don't just barge in on her like that! What if she was changing?" she scolded.

Haruka smirked, "Then she should lock her door."

Michiru sighed. Setsuna, who was still fixing her hair, smiled and watched them in the mirror. 

"Suna-chan, are you almost ready?" Haruka asked.

"Almost Ruka-chan," she replied. "How many hearts are you going to break tonight?" she asked teasingly.

Haruka chuckled and Michiru smiled. "Not as many as you will," Michiru said.

"What do you mean?" asked Setsuna, puzzled.

"You have a sea of suitors after your heart yet you reject each one without giving them a second glance," replied Michiru.

Setsuna sighed, "They are not after my heart Michi-chan. They are after my lands, my wealth, my body. The few who are truly sincere are too dull-witted to even carry out an intelligent conversation with me."

Haruka shook her head, "Well you better find a sincere and intelligent man soon or you'll have to hang around us for the rest of your life! Now hurry up Suna-chan. We're going to be late for your father's party."

Setsuna finished pinning the last pearl in her hair and stood up. She and her friends strode out of her room to the Great Hall.

*********************************************************************************

Setsuna stood against the cool, marble wall watching the dancers swirl in front of her in flashes of color and sound. 

"This is a party Suna-chan! You're supposed to be having fun not standing here looking bored out of your mind!" Haruka exclaimed, suddenly appearing beside her with Michiru on her arm.

Setsuna sighed. "I can't have fun here. All there is to do is dance with men with bad breath, two left feet, and eyes that stare at my neckline rather than my face. I wish I had stayed in my room."

"Cheer up Suna-chan," Michiru said. "I'll let you borrow Haruka. She just had a mint, knows how to dance, and if she looks at your neckline, I brutally kill her." Haruka then made it a point to stare at Setsuna's neckline only to receive a smack in the head by Michiru's gloved hand.

Setsuna laughed. Just then a tall man with deep red hair and matching eyes approached Setsuna. A rich outfit covered his well-built body and a smile lit up his handsome features. The man bowed low and kissed Setsuna's hand.

"Princess Setsuna," he said. The man straightened up. "I pray you allow me the honor of this dance so that I can boast that I have danced with an angel."

Setsuna blushed and smiled allowing the stranger to lead her across the dance floor. Haruka and Michiru watched their friend go in shock and exchanged worried glances. "Didn't she despise all men a second ago?" Haruka asked.

As the music started up again, Setsuna and the handsome man began to glide across the dance floor.

"Aren't you supposed to introduce yourself before asking a lady to dance?" Setsuna inquired.

"Forgive me, princess," the man said. "I am Lord Ga-netto of the planet Xeronia. It is located quite a few galaxies away."

Setsuna thought for a moment. "I have never heard of that planet before."

"It is such a small and obscure planet that few outside our galaxy have." Ga-netto replied. Setsuna opened her mouth to ask about it when Ga-netto interrupted her. "When is your birthday, Setsuna-hime?"

Setsuna was taken aback by that question. "Why do you want to know?" Setsuna asked.

"I'm very interested in astrology," Ga-netto replied. "I would like to know your zodiac sign so that I may know more about you."

Setsuna looked at him skeptically. "October 29," she said.

"Ah, a Scorpio. Very determined and passionate. A bit stubborn at times. Mysterious and introverted, you rarely share your feelings with others. You are also a bit reluctant to trust others. You are a good listener but rarely open up to other people without a great amount of trust."

Setsuna stared at him, awed and dumbfounded, as Ga-netto told her about herself. "What sign are you?" she asked when she found her voice.

"I'm a Pisces," Ga-netto replied. "I am also a good listener. Creative and idealistic. But I'm sure that you have no concern about such things."

"On the contrary," Setsuna said. "I find it astounding that one could know so much about a stranger just by knowing a birthday."

Ga-netto blushed slightly. "It's really nothing, princess. I can tell you more if you wish."

Setsuna nodded eagerly. As they performed the intricate steps of the dance they discussed astrology, philosophy, politics, and even the latest fashions. Ga-netto didn't look at her neckline once.

**********************************************************************************

Michiru and Haruka watched Setsuna and Ga-netto suspiciously. 

"I don't trust him," Haruka said gravely. "We don't even know who he is. He could be a spy."

"Could be," Michiru replied. "But it looks as though Suna-chan trusts him. To have accomplished that he must be a magician. Anyway, Suna-chan can defend herself very well, if she must."

"I still don't trust him. Spies are everywhere these days. It seems that no one can be trusted."

"Put some faith into Suna-chan's judgment. I think that she would be more wary if she suspected that he were a spy."

Haruka smiled, "I suppose you're right, Michiru." She caressed Michiru's hair. "You always are."

**********************************************************************************

After almost an hour of dancing, Setsuna and Ga-netto decided that their feet could use a break. 

"Let's go to the garden behind the castle. Charon shines so beautifully over the plants," Setsuna suggested.

"I would follow you to the ends of the universe my princess," Ga-netto replied. Setsuna smiled and blushed. She led him out of the castle and down a dark pathway. "Is Pluto always this dark?" Ga-netto asked, stumbling down the path. 

"It gets darker," Setsuna replied. She gazed up at the dusky sky. "The sun is setting now. After that it will be pitch black except for the faint light of Charon and the brilliant glow of the stars." A few minutes later, streetlights turned on and illuminated the cobblestone path. As they walked, Setsuna felt a strange nervousness, having never been alone with a boy in the dark before. She also felt an excitement, a feeling that she had never felt before and could not have fully explained if she tried. "Let's sit here," Setsuna said, pointing to a bench in the midst of flowers and hedges a short distance away from the road. 

After they sat down, Setsuna said hesitantly, "Ga-netto-san, we've discussed nearly everything except yourself. I know nothing of your background, family, pastimes. I would really like to know more." She looked up at him expectantly.

Ga-netto sighed. "I don't know why you would want to, Setsuna-hime. My life is so incredibly boring that it wouldn't keep your interest." 

"Everything about you is interesting, Ga-netto-san!" Setsuna protested. "You're so knowledgeable and witty and......" Ga-netto put a finger to her lips and then kissed her. At first Setsuna's eyes flew wide open in surprise, but then she melted into the kiss. 

"Suna-chan!" a voice called from the pathway. Setsuna recognized the voice as Haruka's and pulled away from Ga-netto. Blushing, she started to go to the pathway. 

Ga-netto grabbed her wrist. "Meet me here tomorrow at sunset," Ga-netto said, his eyes almost begging her to say yes.

"I will," Setsuna promised as she went to the cobblestone path. 

*************************************************************************************

"What were you doing out there, Suna-chan?" Haruka demanded as she closed the door of Setsuna's room. 

Setsuna seemed to float across the room to her bed. "Talking," she said in a dreamy voice as she sat down.

Haruka and Michiru seemed a bit surprised and worried at their friend's uncharacteristic behavior. "Talking?" Michiru asked. "We didn't hear any voices. I think you were doing more than talking."

Setsuna blushed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Come on Suna-chan! Stop playing dumb. We want to know what's going on."

"OK!" Setsuna exclaimed, giving up. "We kissed once. Is that a crime?"

Michiru and Haruka were a bit shocked that their once man-despising friend had so quickly fallen head over heels for a man that had suddenly shown up from nowhere. "Suna-chan, we're worried about you. We don't know the first thing about that man. He could be a spy. You shouldn't trust him so easily," Michiru said.

Setsuna frowned. "I can take care of myself," she said in an icy voice. 

Haruka returned her cold tone. "We're just trying to keep you safe" 

Before Setsuna could retort, Michiru came between them. "Let's stop this. Haruka, I'm sure we can trust Suna-chan's judgment." Haruka sighed. "It's getting late we better be going," Michiru said. Haruka and Michiru said their good-byes to Setsuna and left the room.

"I don't know what's wrong with her," Michiru said as she closed the door behind her.

"Me neither," Haruka replied. "Do you think it's true love or just a crush?"

Michiru thought for a moment. "I don't think our stoic Suna-chan can even _have_ a crush." She smiled, but soon became serious again. "But I can't imagine that she has fallen in love in two hours."

"We should keep an eye on this guy. He seems suspicious," Haruka said. Michiru nodded as they walked down the dark corridor to their rooms.

*********************************************************************************

Night seized Pluto quickly and enveloped it in darkness. Millions of stars shone nearly as bright as Charon, Pluto's moon. The air was chilling but serene, giving the night a peaceful, quiet feeling found only on Pluto. Ga-netto stood on his balcony, in awe of the beauty of a Plutonian night.

"This planet is so beautiful," Ga-netto murmured to himself. "Almost as beautiful as its princess." Ga-netto smiled as he thought of Setsuna. Her silky hair, her glowing, vibrant eyes, her smooth, exotic skin. The very thought of her made his mind hazy and his heart tremble as if she had cast a spell over him. Indeed he welcomed the idea of being bewitched by such a stunning, not to mention intelligent and charming, enchantress as Setsuna. "It seems that I have fallen in love with her," he mused to himself, grinning like a drunken fool. 

Reality slapped Ga-netto in the face. "Love!" he exclaimed. "I can't fall in love! Especially not with _her_. I have my duty. I cannot betray Nephrite or my Queen." As if he had summoned him, a holographic image of Nephrite appeared before Ga-netto. Ga-netto bowed before the image of his commander and trainer. 

"What progress have you made with your mission Ga-netto?" Nephrite asked.

"I have become very close to the princess, my lord. Very soon she will tell us all we need to know."

"You think she will reveal information that easily? She must be a fool," Nephrite responded.

Ga-netto seethed at that comment. He would have taken a swing at the hologram if he had not trained under Nephrite for so long, or have been sentenced to death for that act of defiance. Despite this, Ga-netto remained calm, not allowing any feeling to show through. "The princess has been deceived by that emotion humans call love. She will tell whatever I want her to tell me," Ga-netto said, each word seeming like a treason to his own feelings. 

Nephrite smiled evilly. "That is good Ga-netto. If you are successful, I will ensure a high place for you in the Dark Kingdom." With that, the image vanished.

Ga-netto sighed and sank down on his bed. "What am I going to do?" he asked himself. "I love Setsuna more than anything, but I cannot betray the Dark Kingdom. That would mean death." Ga-netto poured himself a glass of wine. He thought for hours about how he could escape his predicament, but after he had drained the third bottle of wine, he decided to sleep on it. "Love has deceived me as well," Ga-netto thought as he lay down on his bed and allowed sleep to overtake him.


	2. Chapter 2

Setsuna hummed to herself as she brushed her long emerald hair. Her mind was on Ga-netto. _What is he doing right now?_ she thought. _Is she thinking about me? Does he love me as much as I love him?_ She stopped herself. "Love?" she said aloud. "Be reasonable, Setsuna. You've just met him. You couldn't possibly be in love," she chided herself. But she still felt _something_, something new and strange and frightening and altogether wonderful. It was as if her world had exploded in a burst of light and although she was terrified out of her mind, she was captivated by the beautiful light surrounding her. Nothing she had ever felt before equaled this rush of emotions, and she had an odd feeling that nothing ever would. 

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a knock at the door. Setsuna set her brush down and went to open the door. Behind the door was a woman with identical features as Setsuna. But although the woman had the same hair and complexion as Setsuna, there was an outstanding difference between the two. The woman looked world-weary and broken, her eyes showing an immeasurable amount of wisdom and intense pain. Setsuna had always feared that she herself would look like this woman, her mother, one day or experience whatever hell she had been through.

"Mother!" Setsuna exclaimed, surprised at her mother's visit. She rarely saw her mother and had never talked to her for more than ten minutes. It had been like that since Setsuna's birth, with nurses and tutors rather than her mother raising her. Setsuna knew that her mother had a very important task to do, one that occupied all her time, but she didn't know what it was. But that wasn't the only reason that her mother never came to see her. Her mother was a distant and uncommunicative woman who seemed to loathe all human contact, especially her only daughter. Setsuna knew this as well and tried to be sympathetic toward her mother rather than angry. "What brings you here?" she asked, puzzled. 

Her mother entered the room and sat down on the bed, her shoulders slumping. She wearily lifted her head and looked up at her daughter. "Setsuna, please sit down. I have to tell you something," her mother said in a worn-out yet urgent voice.

Setsuna immediately obeyed. _It must be important if she came to tell me in person,_ Setsuna thought as she waited for the queen to speak. 

"Setsuna," the queen began with a bit of difficulty. "Do you know what my duties are? What I must constantly attend to at all times?"

_I know that it is what makes your body droop and your eyes full of pain. I know it is what makes you cold and distant; more dead than alive,_ she thought bitterly. She could not say this aloud so she simply shook her head. 

The queen sighed. "The Plutonian royal family has the blood of Chronos, Father Time, in our veins. It is the duty of the Queen of Pluto to guard the Gates of Time. The Guardian can only leave her post on the rarest of occasions, and when she does. she must find a suitable replacement. Setsuna, soon it will be your turn to become Guardian of the Time Gate." She paused. "Do you understand all of this, Setsuna?" 

Her jaw dropping, Setsuna absorbed this rush of new information. _"The Guardian can only leave her post on the rarest of occasions. . . ." Is that what made my mother so distant? The years of solitude?_ A new realization hit Setsuna like a suffocating tidal wave. _Will I become like her?!_ It was Setsuna's greatest fear. She was always worried that she would become as emotionless and dead as her mother. Setsuna had clung to life and her loved ones with all her strength, hoping to be so different from her devoid mother, only to now find herself being torn away by fate.

"Setsuna?" Her mother pulled Setsuna out of her thoughts. 

"Is there any way to change this Mother? Or some way to at least lessen the pain? Please, I can't just abandon life like this! What about my friends? Can I see them?" Setsuna pleaded, desperate for some alternative, some escape from destiny.

The queen shook her head gravely. "This is your fate, Setsuna until the day you die, as it was my fate. And you cannot see your friends. It is forbidden."

"There must be a way! I cannot be made to suffer this way!" Setsuna shrieked, seeing her worst nightmare come to life. Tears filled her eyes. She rushed over to her mother and took her hands. "Please, there must be some way." Setsuna said softly.

Setsuna's mother looked concerned and a bit frightened of her daughter's tears. She didn't know how to help her daughter. She withdrew her hands and looked away. "Well, your grandmother . . . she thought . . . she found a way. . . ." the queen said haltingly. 

A rush of hope surged through Setsuna. "What is it, Mother? Tell me! Please! I need to know!" she exclaimed. 

"Don't get your hopes up, Setsuna. It was just a theory. Anyway, it never worked for me," she said solemnly. 

"Mother! Tell me now!" she pressed urgently. 

The queen sighed. "Your grandmother said that if you could successfully separate the astral body from the physical body while still retaining consciousness in both, then one body could stay at the Time Gate and one body could go back to the world."

Setsuna was perplexed. "How would I do that? I have heard of astral projection, but this? How can it be done?" Still, Setsuna was relieved that there was a faint shimmer of hope, the slightest ray of light in her pitch-black fate. 

The queen shook her head. "I don't know. I already said that I was never able to do it. I haven't the slightest idea how." She stood up and, after a slight hesitation, awkwardly kissed the top of Setsuna's head. "Goodbye my daughter, and good luck. May you find the happiness I never did." She turned to walk out of the room.

"Mother," Setsuna said softly, looking up at her weary mother. "When do I start?"

The queen turned around, a soft smile crossing her face. "Tomorrow," she replied and left the room.

********************************************************************************************

The next day, the queen was dead. She had plunged her husband's sword through her chest after her discussion with Setsuna. They said that a small smile was on her face when she was found.

Setsuna plodded along at the head of the funeral procession next to her sullen father, her head bowed. She had not slept at all the night before. She had spent the entire night studying all the books in the castle library about astral projection, then practicing it herself. She was completely unsuccessful. At 6:30 a.m., one of her servants had burst through Setsuna's door and told her the news of the queen's death.

Setsuna was not surprised in the least. She had expected it to happen. But the rest of the universe did not. Pluto was immediately thrown into mourning for their distant queen. Monarchs from every galaxy in the universe attended the funeral, cramming into the tiny planet. Even the mighty Queen Serenity, with her beautiful daughter, had come, wishing to pay her last respects. 

During the service, Setsuna gazed at her mother's pallid face. _Shouldn't I be sad?_ she thought. But she wasn't. She was only filled with a horrible foreboding. _She looks more alive now. All the pain and weariness has left her face. She looks at peace._

After the service, Setsuna's duty was to receive condolences and thank the never-ending line of mourners for coming since her father had retired early. Among them were Haruka and Michiru. They both gave Setsuna a hug.

"I'm so sorry, Suna-chan," Michiru said sympathetically. "Is there anything we could do?"

Setsuna looked at the long line behind her friends. "I need to tell you something," she said. "Meet me in my room in two hours." They nodded. Haruka kissed Setsuna's cheek and they left. 

Further down the line was Queen Serenity and her daughter. "I'm sorry, Setsuna-hime," Queen Serenity said. "Has your mother told you about your duty?" Setsuna nodded. "You must begin tomorrow. I will come for you in the morning." Setsuna nodded once more. Queen Serenity embraced her and walked on. Princess Serenity politely offered her condolences and followed her elegant mother. 

Setsuna continued to greet and thank each person in line mechanically until the very end. The last person bowed low and kissed her hand.

"My poor Setsuna-hime," he said, still clasping her hand.

Setsuna almost didn't notice him; she was too lost in thought. Her eyes opened wide at his voice. 

"Ga-netto!" she gasped, remembering to keep her voice low. "I'm so glad to see you." She pulled him into the shadows of the dim room and rested her head on his shoulder, her arms encircling him. She was too mentally and physically exhausted to think about what she was doing. She just knew that she wanted to be in his arms, and that it felt so right being there. Ga-netto was a little surprised at her actions, but held her close, burying his face in her sweet-smelling hair. _How can I betray this beautiful angel?_ he thought to himself. 

"Ga-netto-san," Setsuna began.

"Just Ga-netto, tenshi," wishing that he could stay in her arms forever.

"Ga-netto," she began again. "I have a duty. I must guard the Time Gate. I cannot leave my post. I'll have to leave you. . . ." A tear trickled down her cheek.

Ga-netto wiped away the tear and held her closer. "Don't worry, tenshi. We can find a way. It'll be all right," he murmured reassuringly. _Guardian of the Time Gate! _his mind screamed. _No! She can't be taken away from me so easily! I will still go to see her. Surely Nephrite would know a way. . . ._ His blood ran cold at the thought of the general who would force him to abandon either his love or his life. _But which will I choose when the time comes?_ he asked himself. _I could never allow Setsuna to be harmed, no matter what the cost. _He knew then which he would sacrifice. 

"Setsuna. . ." Ga-netto started. He prepared to tell her of what his real intentions had been, of his affiliation with the Dark Kingdom. But he could not find the words. He could not bear the look of pain that surely would have crossed her face. 

"Yes?" Setsuna replied. She searched his troubled face. "What is it?"

"If I can't be with you. . .if I have to. . .leave. . ." he could not tell her that he would most likely be a dead man in a few weeks time, "the don't worry about me. Don't cry for me. I don't want any tears to mar your beautiful face. I will be in your heart always. I love you, Setsuna." He said the last sentence quietly, as if he did not want her to hear it.

"I love you too, Ga-netto. But why would you have to go?"

"It's beyond my control, tenshi. I can't do anything about it. I'm so sorry Setsuna." He wiped another tear off her soft cheek. Ga-netto kissed her lips, gently at first, but then with a passion, a longing for all they should have had, for everything they would miss. 

Setsuna kissed back just as passionately, unable to think of anything but Ga-netto and the burning desire to remain like this for all eternity. They heard movement in the room and were startled out of their reverie. "Let's go up to my room," Setsuna whispered, clutching his hand as if it were life itself.


	3. Chapter 3

An hour later, Setsuna was laying next to Ga-netto, her head resting against his bare chest. _How much longer do we have?_ she thought. _Until tomorrow? I wish we could have forever._

Ga-netto stroked Setsuna's hair. _Why must I leave her? _he thought bitterly. _There is no escaping fate. Perhaps we'll have longer than today. I wish I could stay with her until the end of time._

They both gazed at each other with a longing that could never be fulfilled, a love that could never be extinguished, and a hope that was rapidly dying within themselves. 

Suddenly a sharp knocking was heard at the door. "Suna-chan!" Haruka's voice called. "Are you in there?"

Setsuna and Ga-netto bolted upright and began to throw on their clothes which were scattered all over the floor. "I'll be there in a second!" Setsuna called back, grateful she had remembered to lock her door. After dressing in a matter of seconds, Setsuna kissed Ga-netto and pushed him out onto the balcony, throwing his shirt and boots after him. As she closed the door she heard him yell, "Ouch! Watch where you throw those things!"

"Suna-chan?" Michiru called. 

"Coming!" Setsuna responded quickly tying back her tangled hair. She opened her door and greeted her friends, trying to make her voice sound said. 

"You said that you wanted to talk to us," Haruka said. 

She was about to say more when Setsuna interrupted. "How about we go to the gardens and talk?" she suggested in a rather loud voice. 

"All right," Haruka said slowly. She knew something about Setsuna was different. Her face was flushed and there was something else that Haruka could not quite put her finger on. Haruka glanced at Michiru briefly and knew that Michiru had noticed this too.

"Come on," Setsuna said in the same loud voice. "Let's go," she said as she ushered her friends down the hallway. 

"Suna-chan, what's wrong?" Michiru said. 

Setsuna almost said that nothing was wrong when she remembered why she wanted to talk them. She instantly became genuinely sad and told her friends about her duty and her grandmother's theory. 

"So there is hope," Haruka said as they walked through the gardens.

"Yes," Setsuna replied. "But I don't know how I can do it! It seems impossible."

"Well you have a while to figure it out, Suna-chan. We know you can do it," Michiru said, hoping that she could before they were gone. 

********************************************************************************************

A minute or so after Ga-netto heard Setsuna's door close and their footsteps fade down the hallway, 

Ga-netto emerged from the balcony. He sat at Setsuna's desk and wrote her a note.

__

Dearest Tenshi,

I hope I will be able to see you soon. You are in my heart and mind always, love. Please meet me in my room as soon as possible. I hope you can come before you leave tomorrow morning. But if I have to leave before we meet again, then always remember that I am in your angel's heart forever.

Yours eternally,

Ga-netto

Ga-netto felt a chill behind him and spun around. There stood the hologram of Nephrite. Ga-netto jumped up and bowed to the image.

"I see that you have gotten _very_ close to the princess. What information did you gather?" he said in an imperious tone.

Ga-netto hid all of his emotions from his commander. He was trained well. "She will not be a help to us much longer, sir. She must take her mother's place tomorrow as the Guardian of Time." He cursed himself mentally. _Why can't I stand up to him? I have to stop him, but how?_

An idea flew through Nephrite's mind like wildfire. "Who is guarding the Gates at this moment?" he said urgently.

Ga-netto answered hesitantly. "No one, sir."

"This is our chance!" Nephrite exclaimed. "With the Time Gates unguarded, we can take them by surprise! It is the perfect time to invade! You will be generously rewarded Ga-netto." With that, the image flickered away. 

Ga-netto's eyes filled with horror. _What have I done?! _he screamed at himself. _I have betrayed Setsuna! I have to warn her before its too late._ Ga-netto ran out of the room and towards the gardens, determined to protect his love.

********************************************************************************************

"Maybe astral projection isn't the key at all," Haruka suggested, resting on a park bench. "Maybe you can separate by other means."

"What other means?" Setsuna asked in a weary voice. Her friends had yet to come up with a good suggestion. All Setsuna wanted to do was find Ga-netto and stay in his arms forever. But she could not just leave her friends without an explanation, and they were already suspicious of her. 

Haruka thought for a while, legs stretched out in front of her, eyes gazing at the endless sky. "I don't know," she finally admitted.

"Maybe you just have to practice often. It isn't as if there will be much excitement at the Gates," Michiru said. 

Setsuna sighed. _What if I can't figure it out before my friends are gone?_ she thought gravely to herself. _And Ga-netto as well._ She watched the distant, tiny sun set behind the ebony castle. As the streetlights turned on all about Setsuna, she thought back to the previous night where she sat with Ga-netto at this very moment, where they shared their first kiss. _It seems like years ago, _she thought. 

Suddenly there was a shout. "Setsuna!"

Setsuna leapt up and saw Ga-netto running towards her. Haruka and Michiru also jumped up and watched as Setsuna ran over to Ga-netto and, without thinking, embraced him.

"Setsuna," he said breathlessly. "The Dark Kingdom. . .they're going. . .to. . .attack," he said as he desperately tried to catch his breath.

"What? Ga-netto, you're not making sense. Come sit down and catch your breath," Setsuna said. They both sat down. Haruka and Michiru still watched them intently, highly suspicious of Ga-netto. They saw how the two embraced, addressed each other so informally, and touched each other as if the other was a porcelain doll that they have to protect. 

"So that's it," Haruka said grimly to Michiru.

"She's fallen in love," Michiru responded, a tiny smile crossing her face.

"That's a good thing?" Haruka said, feeling possessive of Setsuna.

"Oh come on, Haruka! She can't be our little girl forever," she said teasingly of her older friend. 

Ga-netto caught his breath. "Setsuna, the Dark Kingdom is planning to attack tonight. We must warn the others."

"The Dark Kingdom!" Setsuna exclaimed.

"Tonight?" Michiru asked, completely shocked.

"How would you know?" Haruka demanded.

"There isn't time!" Ga-netto said. "Tenshi," he said to Setsuna, "they will be here any minute! They will most likely be attacking the Moon since. . ." Ga-netto never got to finish his sentence. Setsuna, Michiru, and Haruka heard a piercing scream inside their heads. They flinched in pain. "Setsuna!" Ga-netto exclaimed, holding her close to him. "What's wrong?"

"The princess," Michiru said. "She's in trouble. We must go help!"

"I'm coming with you," Ga-netto said. Michiru and Haruka teleported away before they heard him. 

"Come," Setsuna said solemnly, grasping his hand. They both teleported together to the Moon.


	4. Chapter 4

Setsuna and Ga-netto appeared in front of the palace of Queen Serenity beside Haruka and Michiru, already transformed into Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune. Setsuna quickly transformed into Sailor Pluto. She then grabbed Ga-netto's hand and faced the enemy before them.

Legions of dark creatures, more monster than man, marched towards them. At the head of the army was a demonic, fire-haired woman, fangs visible in her evil sneer. Immediately behind her were her four generals, one of them Nephrite, banging their shields with their spears and shouting to their minions. 

Sailor Pluto, Ga-netto, and the rest of the Senshi and Knights stood ready, clutching their weapons and gathering their energy. Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune stood in silence, taking comfort from each other in silence. 

"Tenshi," Ga-netto whispered squeezing Setsuna's hand. "I love you more than anything. If I don't make it out of this alive. . ."

Setsuna interrupted him. "Hush," she said fiercely. "You will survive. I don't want to hear any goodbyes." She felt dizzy. _Is all of this just a dream? Will I wake up in Ga-netto's arms, and everything will be all right?_ But Setsuna knew it was real, and that the chances were she would lose people she loved. 

With wild war cries that drowned out the feeling of doom, the Dark Kingdom attacked. The Senshi screamed back the names of their attacks only to have their brightly colored energy disappear in the advancing black mass. Sailor Pluto fought bravely beside Ga-netto, who used the sword that he had gotten from Nephrite himself. She destroyed dozens of enemy creatures only to have them be replaced by more. She heard screams as senshi after senshi and knight after knight were struck down. She smelled the blood of her fallen comrades and could only see darkness as enemy soldiers surrounded them. 

Setsuna heard a piercing shriek to her right and looked just in time to see Sailor Uranus fall to the ground dead. "Haruka!" Sailor Neptune screamed as she dropped to her knees beside her lover's side. 

"Ruka-chan," Sailor Pluto whispered, tears filling her eyes.

"No, Haruka! No! You can't leave me, Haruka! Wake up. . ." Sailor Neptune sobbed. "I can't live without you, Haruka," she said quietly as the minions attacked her, leaving her dead on top of her lover.

"No!" Sailor Pluto cried, struggling to fight off the soldiers. They were overwhelming her. Sailor Pluto saw a blast of energy flying at her and realized that she had noticed it too late. . . 

Suddenly something flew between the blast and her. That something was hit by the blast and fell to the ground. Setsuna saw that it was Ga-netto who had saved her. "NO!" Setsuna screamed, as she destroyed all the minions near her. She kneeled next to Ga-netto and rested his head in her lap. 

"Tenshi," he gasped. "I must tell you something. I was a spy. For them. But then I fell. . .in love. . .with you. . .and I. . ." He could not finish speaking. 

A river of tears flooded Setsuna's face. "Sshhh," Sailor Pluto said, caressing his face with her shaking hand. "I don't care. Just please Ga-netto, don't leave me. I have nothing else but you."

"My tenshi," he whispered, his eyes no longer able to focus on her. "My beautiful tenshi," his eyes closed as he drew one last ragged breath, then died. 

Setsuna sobbed and held his body close, not caring about what went on around her. She heard his voice in her head, telling her that everything was going to be fine. "You lied," she whispered softly. 

She suddenly looked around her and noticed that all of the Dark Kingdom was gone. "We won? How could we win when you're dead?" She stood up, leaving the body of her lover. She went over to the bent figure of Queen Serenity, the only other survivor of the bloody battle. The Queen was weeping over the body of her daughter, slain alongside her lover, Prince Endymion. The Queen noticed Sailor Pluto and tried to dry her eyes. 

"What happened?" Sailor Pluto asked, her voice in a stony monotone. 

"I imprisoned the Dark Kingdom for about a thousand years," Queen Serenity replied. She gazed at the corpses of the Senshi. "They don't deserve this," she sobbed. She looked up at Setsuna. "You don't deserve this." Queen Serenity stood up. "Setsuna, you must live. I will send my daughter and her court one thousand years into the future. You must send them memories of the past when the time is right. You will know when. It is also your job to awaken Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune at the right time."

Setsuna looked into Queen Serenity's tear-filled eyes hopefully. "Ga-netto?" she asked tentatively.

The Queen shook her head, "I am sorry, Setsuna. I am not strong enough. But you will have his child. . ." 

Setsuna's eyes flew open wide and her jaw dropped. "Child?! How could you. . . .But we. . ." Setsuna paused. "But how could I raise a child? It won't have friends, a home, a father. Just an uncaring, emotionless mother," she said bitterly.

Queen Serenity knew Setsuna's fear. "You will not become your mother. Your mother was much weaker than you are. And what your grandmother thought. . .can be done."

"Queen Serenity, please. Send my child into the future as well. I cannot raise it now. It can be someone else's child. Perhaps your daughter's" Setsuna begged. Queen Serenity nodded and picked up the Silver Crystal. 

The next thing Setsuna knew she was at the Time Gate. She sighed and leaned against the cool pillar of the Gate and prepared herself for the next thousand years.


End file.
